Finding Home
by fleurdelysee
Summary: Having chosen to raise her possibly demonic son on her own, Phoebe has now been estranged from her sisters for ten years. Her son Benjamin has never even met his aunts and only knows them through photographs and stories. That is about to change when circumstances force Piper and Paige to come to their sister's aid and take care of her son after a strange accident.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. This story builds on "Worth Fighting For", a one-shot I wrote a few years ago. You don't need to read it to understand this story, though it might provide some extra context.

Basically, this story follows cannon until "Womb Raider" (S4e21). The story explores a reality in which the sisters managed to kill off the Seer without compromising Phoebe's unborn child. Some elements of later seasons will be incorporated in the story, such as the births of Piper's sons and Phoebe's empath abilities, but others will not. Please enjoy (and comment)!

* * *

Something was wrong. Benjamin could feel it in his stomach. If he didn't know any better he would've thought he was sick, but it wasn't the first time he had had this particular twitch in his stomach. It was a sensation that emerged anytime something wrong was about to happen. The boy used to hope that it was a gift he had inherited from his mother, but unlike her, he didn't get premonitions and he couldn't prevent events from happening. He simply knew when something evil was happening.

He'd gotten used to ignoring the feeling when he was in school. He had tried talking to a teacher about it once before when he was younger, but learnt to keep these feelings between him and his mother when it was suggested he meet with a counsellor or therapist. His mother's smiling face quickly flashed into his mind and the feeling of uneasiness grew stronger. He was restless the rest of the day and burst through the door leading to the parking lot as soon as classes were over to meet his mother. He didn't see her. The twitch in his stomach settled more deeply.

He looked around the parking lot frantically, his eyes passing over a familiar face. He focused on the face. It was one he had seen before in one of the few photographs his mother had shared with him of her sisters. This woman had long brown hair and a motherly air to her. His aunt Piper, he remembered. Her shoulders were tense and their eyes met, hers lighting up in recognition. She beckoned him over.

"Benjamin," his aunt hesitated a bit and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "We've never officially met before but I'm…"

"How is my mother?" the boy abruptly interrupted. He was distantly aware of other students stepping out through the doors behind him and rushing to greet their parents in the parking lot. He thought he heard one of the teachers call after him, but he only cared about getting news about his mother. Something bad had happened to her. It was the only explanation for the presence of her aunt at this moment.

Piper pursed her lips and held her breath before breathing out deeply. "She's… she's at the hospital." She started fretting with her hands. "She was in a car accident, but she's okay. I mean, she's unconscious but she's otherwise fine according to the doctor."

Benjamin nodded, not quite sure how to react.

"Can I see her?" He willed his voice to remain steady and strong. He refused to show his distress in front of a person he didn't know, even if she was, technically, family.

"Of course!" Piper proceeded to lead him to her car and exchanged a few words with Benjamin's teacher who had followed him out and seemed worried to now see him leave with a stranger. After some convincing, the teacher let Piper go. Both she and Benjamin stepped into the car and they drove towards the hospital in silence.

* * *

Piper was at a lost. Phoebe and her hadn't exchanged more than ten words in the last ten years. To be honest, she had stopped feeling angry a few years ago, but hadn't known how to fix things with her sister. She had been so busy juggling work, family life and demon hunting, especially since the power of three had been reduced to the power of two, and… who was she kidding. These were all poor excuses she had used time and time again to delay the needed conversation between her and Phoebe. One that would have to be delayed yet again since one of them was currently lying unconscious at the hospital.

She had been shocked earlier, when the hospital had called her, to be told that she had remained Phoebe's emergency contact over all these years. She had refused to dwell on that last fact, but it was hard to not think about it when she was sitting in a car in silence, with her sister's kid sitting in the back seat. The same kid that was at the source of their disagreement in the first place, a disagreement that seemed so silly now that Piper was finally setting eyes on the child. Piper had not expected him to appear so... normal, after believing for so long that he'd turn out as evil as his father. In her defense, he's been a lot of trouble as en embryo, setting fires all over the place.

"Do you still set things on fire?" the words had escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.

Benjamin seemed surprised before looking down at his lap and muttering softly, "No, I…."  
He stopped talking when little blue lights started to take shape beside him. He gasped as they turned into another woman. Paige. His other aunt.

"Paige! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!" Piper screamed, holding the steering wheel a little tighter that she was supposed too.

"Sorry! But Leo just filled me in and it was either orbing in the car or orbing in the hospital where I might be caught and reveal our secret to the whole world! Besides, shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

When Piper didn't respond, Paige turned towards Benjamin and only briefly hesitated before waving at him with a smile. "Hi! I'm your aunt Paige. It's nice to finally meet you!"

"Uh, hi."

Benjamin felt he should probably say something more, but he'd never been one for conversation. The rest of the car ride was even more awkward with Paige trying to make small talk about school. He felt oddly relieved when they finally arrived at the hospital. Of course, he was also scared. The feeling of wrongness he had felt earlier had yet to disappear. Or perhaps he only felt this way because he was so anxious about his mother being hurt. She was the only person who loved him unconditionally.

After what felt like an eternity, the three of them were cleared to visit Phoebe, who was still unconscious. The sight of her looking so frail and pale made Benjamin clench his fist. He heard the familiar sound of glass exploding behind him. He always made things explode when he was feeling a strong surge of emotion. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and he turned to face Piper who was looking at him strangely.

"You did this?" she asked softly.

"Sorry… I… I can't really control it." He wanted to look down at his shows, but instead met his aunt's eyes.

She smiled tightly. "I make things explode too. I couldn't control it either at first. I spent weeks wearing oven mitts and months being scared I'd kill someone any time I'd raise my hands."

He tried to smile back but his attempt fell short. "Mom told me about it. She said she always knew you'd get the hang of it eventually." He glanced back to look at his mother. She still looked unusually frail. It made him feel angry. This was wrong. She was the strongest person he knew.

"I bet she also tells you that she knows you'll also learn to control your powers," Piper said gently.

Benjamin nodded silently.

"Try to think of a really good memory next time you feel overwhelmed with your feelings. It might help you to calm down a bit," Piper suggested.

If only his mother wasn't part of all of his best memories. Thinking about her didn't help make him feel less anxious at this particular moment. He nodded anyway and forced down a new wave of emotions down his throat. He knew part of the reason his mother and her aunts didn't speak anymore was because of him and he didn't want to make a bad impression.

Piper and Paige then started whispering amongst themselves and Benjamin walked towards the bed to grab one of his mother's hands, holding it tight.

"I'm here mama, come back for me."

He might have imagined it but he felt the slightest twitch in his mom's hand. He took it as a sign she'd heard him and he squeezed her hand even tighter.

* * *

Benjamin spent the night in the Halliwell manor. He marvelled at it a bit, amazed that his mom had grown up in such a big and old house. He was also thrilled to meet his cousins, two boys, the oldest of whom was about the same age as him. They had both helped to make his stay at the manor a little more comfortable as Piper and Paige still seemed unsure on how to act around him. They did however allow him to have a look at the Book of Shadows. Piper, in particular, made a point of showing him the entries his mother had written, though she skipped over the page about Belthazor. Benjamin didn't protest though he was curious to learn more about his father.

Dinner had felt so strange, surrounding by so many family members he had never met and had known next to nothing about. They were all kind and gentle and he couldn't think of even one good reason that would explain why his mother had kept them away from him all those years. He felt a surge of anger at the thought he could've been surrounded by this love all this time, but felt immediately guilty for the thought. He had to trust his mother had had her reasons. After that, he spent the remaining part of the evening doing homework and pretending to be asleep. He actually slept very little that night as, anytime he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with awful scenarios in which his mother never recovered.

The next day, Piper, Paige, and Leo all accompanied him to the hospital after dropping off Wyatt and Chris at school. They were all optimistic about his mother's condition despite having received no news from the hospital. The optimism was slightly dampened when a nurse informed them that Phoebe had yet to regain consciousness.

Leo frowned and as soon as the nurse left the room he examined Phoebe himself. He roamed his hand over her injuries. Benjamin tried not to act too surprised when both hands started glowing, making the wounds on his mother's face and arms fade. She still did not wake.

"Something's wrong," Leo said, his frown deepening in concentration. Benjamin felt the knot tighten inside his stomach. He had never known what absolute dread had felt like before this moment.

"What do you mean?" inquired Piper.

"Something is preventing me from healing her. Some kind of magical lock."

Paige and Piper shared a look.

"Do you think it's demonic?" asked Paige.

"Possibly." Leo then turned and looked down at Benjamin who was staring at them, his eyes widened and glazed with fear. "Should we discuss this in front of him?"

"He might know something," suggested Paige.

The boy tensed a bit. "How could I possibly know anything? I was in school. " He couldn't help sounding defensive.

Paige raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, but Piper replied calmly. "Did you notice anything strange about a new acquaintance or do you know anyone who'd want to hurt your mother?"

"No. No! Everyone loves mom. I… I… Maybe it wasn't an attack, maybe you just weren't trying hard enough," he pointed accusingly at Leo and clenched his fist.

"Woah, calm down, honey. We're not accusing you. And you're right, we don't know if it's demonic." Piper had brought him against her side and had started to stroke his back gently, not unlike the way his mother did sometime. The familiarity of the gesture managed to calm him down a bit, but he remained tense. He glared at the whitelighter as he once again illuminated his hands.


	2. Chapter 2

For a while, everyone sat in silence while Leo did his best to get through the lock that prevented him from healing Phoebe completely. Paige stood beside him and eventually illuminated her hands as well.

"Maybe if we do it together," she said hesitantly. Leo nodded and moved to make some space beside Phoebe's bed.

Piper was chewing her nails, a nervous habit she thought she'd gotten rid of. No matter how long it had been since she'd talked to Phoebe, it was difficult to see her so pale and still on the bed. It reminded her of the last time she'd lost a sister; a comparison which did not quell her nerves. As if he could read her thoughts, Benjamin turned and looked up at her, a few tears streaming down his face.

"Is she going to be okay?" he said. "Don't lie. I'll know if you lie."

Her nephew sounded so serious, Piper was stunned for a second. When Benjamin's lips started quivering, she regained control of herself and she hurried to his side. She put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him slightly away from the bed.

"I don't know what's wrong, Benjamin, but…" She inhaled deeply. "We'll figure it out and fix this. We always do." She brushed a strand of hair behind his ear.

Piper meant it too. There hadn't been a demon they hadn't managed to defeat, not even when her and Paige had to make do without the Power of Three. The thought brought her some courage. She looked at Benjamin straight in the eyes, solemn, but kept her words light, as not to intimidate him. "However, to understand what's going on, we need some more information."

"But I didn't…" started Benjamin, eyes wide.

"Like, I said," interrupted Piper. "No one thinks you're responsible. But you know your mom better than anyone else in this room." And wasn't that a painful thought. "Are you sure there's no one who might've wanted to hurt your mother?"

"I… I don't know," responded Benjamin. The poor child looked frightened. Unfortunately, those questions needed to be asked.

"That's okay," said Piper, trying to be soothing. "So, she never mentioned arguing with someone or commenting on someone acting strange?"

"No. I don't think so." Benjamin was twisting his hands, restless, and unable to meet her eyes.

"That's alright. How about a new friend or neighbour or anyone she met recently?"

"Hum, no. Well, there's David I guess," said Benjamin.

Paige looked up at these words. "Who's David?" she asked hurriedly.

"He's her new boyfriend I think. I'm not supposed to know, but he keeps calling and sending her flowers," Benjamin explained.

"When did they meet?" asked Paige, moving away from the bed and closer to her nephew. Leo had also turned around.

Benjamin looked around the room and blushed. He crossed his arms and suddenly seemed very interested in staring at his shoes. "I don't know when exactly, but he sent flowers for the first time about three months ago."

Piper shared a look with her sister and her husband. It wasn't much, but it gave them something to look into. She looked back at Benjamin when he started speaking again. He was frowning. "He seems to like mom a lot though. Do you really think he could've done something to her?"

Piper had to suppress a sigh. This kid was too young to deal with demons and such. She wasn't even sure how much the kid knew about magic. It was obvious he knew some things and had some powers of his own, but it was likely Phoebe had tried to shield her son from some nastier details, as Piper herself had done with her own sons. "Honey, we don't know. We just have to explore every possibility right now. Also, he might know something you don't."

"Do you have mommy's purse? David's number is probably on her cell," said Benjamin.

The nurse gave me Phoebe's belongings yesterday, but I didn't think to look…" said Piper. She smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "You're a pretty smart kid, aren't you?"

Benjamin's cheeks reddened again. "Not really, but mom thinks I am," he mumbled.

Piper turned towards her sister. "Paige, do you mind going to get her phone? I left the stuff they gave me on the kitchen counter."

"Be back in a sec!" her sister replied before orbing away.

"So cool," commented Benjamin, eyes wide while he stared at the place Paige had been a moment before. It was a cruel reminder that they were still strangers to the boy, Piper thought. He didn't know anything about them; he wasn't used to their habits. And it was all her fault.

* * *

When Paige teleported back, or rather, orbed back with Phoebe's phone, the adults quickly huddled in a corner of the room to whisper to each other, while Benjamin sat at Phoebe's bedside. He was a bit insulted that his aunts and uncle hadn't felt the need to include him in their conversation, but, if he was honest with himself, he didn't really feel like talking anymore. He hadn't slept well the night before and hadn't been home or spoken to his mother in almost two days.

It was a sappy thought, but he missed the sound of her voice. She had a really nice voice, perfect for calming him down and telling him stories. He also missed seeing her moving around the apartment restlessly. She was constantly moving. Benjamin thought back to the hours he'd spend watching her practice martial arts. Her movements were so quick and graceful. He lived for the times she'd show him a few moves after making him promise to only use them in self-defence. Seeing her so still felt wrong.

"Benjamin," Piper called from behind him. He turned to face her, remaining seated. "I think you should go home for a bit and pack some things: clothes, toys, anything you might need for school. It might also be a good idea to get some things of your mother's. Things she'll need when she wakes up."

Benjamin's stomach churned at the thought of leaving. "What if she needs me?"

"You won't be gone long, and I can always come get you," said Leo. "With orbing, it'll take no time at all."

"You promise?" asked Benjamin, staring his uncle straight in the eye. He couldn't help feeling a bit suspicious. These people were still strangers and they knew about his demon heritage. In fact, they hadn't spoken to his mom in years because of that fact. Why were they so nice to him now? a voice kept whispering in his mind.

"I promise," said Leo. He sounded sincere. Benjamin examined his uncle's expression. He hadn't been exaggerating earlier when he told Piper he would have been able to determine whether or not she was lying. As long as he could see the eyes of the person talking to him, he could identify a lie.

Detecting no lie, Benjamin nodded.

"If you don't mind, I'll orb you to your house right now so you can get back here in no time," offered Paige.

Still feeling tired, Benjamin simply nodded again.

"Ok. Grab onto me. It might feel a bit strange, but don't let go. You can close your eyes if you're nervous." Paige gently grabbed his arm and pulled him out of his chair. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

He suddenly felt like he was being pulled, though he would not have been able to say in which direction. His entire body felt very light, like he weighed nothing. And then, almost as suddenly, things returned to normal. At some point he had closed his eyes, so he opened them. They were standing before the front door of his house.

"That's such a cool power," he exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah? I don't know," stated Paige, teasing. "Making things explode would be nice sometimes."

"It's not. It just gets me in trouble," mumbled the boy.

Paige inserted the key in the lock and opened the door. They both stepped inside the small apartment.

Benjamin's stomach felt tight once again. At first, Benjamin thought it was because he knew his mother was at the hospital and it felt wrong to be home without her. However, something else was making him feel uneasy. He paused in the entryway.

"You okay, kiddo?" Paige asked.

"Something's not right," he said. Instantly, he felt Paige tense up.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. I just feel a weird energy. Like someone was there that wasn't supposed to," he explained. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at Paige.

"Stay close to me," she ordered. "Whatever it is, do you think it's gone?"

Benjamin thought it over. He pushed at the feeling to try to get more information. The energy felt cold. It also leads from room to room, as if someone had been searching for something. "I think they're long gone. I think they were looking for something. The energy is all around the apartment."

"How much experience do you have sensing energy?" Paige asked.

"It's my first time," admitted Benjamin.

"And you're confident that, whatever it was, it's gone?"

"Yes."

"Alright," said Paige. "We'll get your stuff super quickly and we'll leave as soon as possible. I don't think we're safe here."

She believed him, Benjamin realised in surprise. She trusted his ability even though he'd just admitted to it being his first time using it.

"Where's your room?" Paige asked.

Right. They were supposed to get some of his things. "This way," he said, before walking towards his room.

Paige followed him and made sure to always be within arm distance. She found a duffel bag in his closet and began filling it with random clothes. Benjamin selected three of his favourite books, picked up his favourite stuffed animal, a blue elephant named Todd, and his 3DS to be put away in the bag. All the school supplies he needed was already at the manor, so he didn't bother looking for further school supplies.

After making sure his favourite pair of jeans and sweater were both packed, as well as his pyjamas, Benjamin guided Paige to his mother's room. To both their surprise, the room was a huge mess. The bed was completely turned over, a few drawers of the dresser were left open, clothes hanging out, and some items were scattered on the floor. A board on the floor had been flipped over, leaving a small gap on the floor.

"Someone has definitely been in here looking for something," said Paige, once again grabbing her nephew's shoulder. Her grip was firmer than earlier, almost hurting him.

"Why would they leave a mess? Now we know they were there," wondered Benjamin.

Paige remained silent. "Maybe that's what they wanted."


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. I want to thank everyone who reviewed or favourite the story. It's super motivating to get feedback this way, especially in such a small fandom. I hope you enjoy the next chapters just as much. I look forward to your comments.

* * *

"Leo!" called Paige, looking up at the ceiling.

Benjamin frowned. Wasn't Leo at the hospital? His question was answered by the sight of blue lights descending from the ceiling. The lights then took human shape and revealed his uncle. Apparently, uncle Leo had really great hearing.

"What's wrong," the whitelighter asked, eyes darting around the room. "What happened here?"

"We don't know. Take the kid back to the hospital. I'm going to investigate," Paige said, relinquishing her hold over Benjamin's shoulder.

"No," Benjamin protested. It was his home. He had a right to know what was going on. Besides, he'd know better than Paige whether something was missing or had been misplaced. Before he could explain all that however, Leo gently grabbed his elbow and orbed them away.

This time he had the distinct impression of being pulled up and then down. He'd closed his eyes again without realizing and opened them to the sight of the hospital room and of his mother lying motionless on the bed.

"Why did Paige call you? Where is she now?" asked Piper from the chair in the corner of the room.

"It looks like someone has been at Phoebe's apartment and went looking through her things. I think Paige was worried over Ben's safety," Leo explained, turning towards Benjamin as if he were asking him to confirm.

It was the first time someone had called him Ben in almost two days. He felt a burning sensation behind his eyes at the thought. He dug his nails into his palm and stared at a spot in the wall.

"Benjamin?"

"Do you really think someone is after mom? What do they want?" he asked, suddenly unable to think about anything else. Something was preventing Phoebe from waking up. Someone had been in their apartment; bypassing the magical protections Phoebe had put in place, and searched for something in her room. It was likely someone was behind the accident in the first place.

Piper and Leo shared a look. Benjamin was getting tired of the adults' silent conversations.

"Just tell me!" he demanded.

"Honey, let us deal with this," said Piper in a soft tone. She kneeled in front of him so she could look him in the eye. "You're too young to…"

She stopped herself at the sound of glass shattering and the feel of a sudden burst of wind against her skin. She looked to the side and saw a broken window, before turning her gaze upon Benjamin. He could feel his cheeks reddening again, embarrassed and ashamed at his lack of control. However, he would not apologize.

"I'm not a little kid anymore," he said simply.

"Clearly," snorted Piper. "Breaking things when you don't like what you hear is a great show of maturity."

"I just can't control it yet!" he shouted, starting to feel frustrated again.

"Calm down, Ben." Said Leo in a calming voice. "You can't let your emotions get the better of you. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. But you are still just a kid, and we need to protect you. That might mean sometime not giving you answers right away."

"She's my mom. I have a right to know!" argued Benjamin.

"Very well," said Piper.

"Piper, I don't think…" began Leo.

"We think that whoever is responsible for your mom's condition might actually be after you," she said.

Benjamin's eyes widened and this time he could not fight his tears, letting a few stream down his face. "You mean it's my fault?" His voice was quivering.

Piper started. "No, no, honey. It's not what I mean."

But Benjamin couldn't hear anymore. He brushed off her attempt to hug him and took a few steps back. His throat felt tight and his eyes were so watery he could barely see. Leo held his hand in front of him as if he were facing a wild animal. He suddenly felt a strong urge to be alone and ran out of the room, ignoring the voices calling after him. He bumped into a tall man, but didn't stop to apologize.

* * *

"I'll go after him," said Leo, rushing out the door.

Piper held her head in her hands. The stress of the situation had caught up with her, making her frustrated and short-tempered. She knew better than to dump that kind of information on a kid like that. Especially since there was yet to be any proof to confirm her suspicions. A demon could just have easily decided to finish off one of the Halliwell sisters to permanently eliminate the threat of the Power of the Three.

She was interrupted in her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door. She turned around to see a tall slender man with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed casually, in a pair of jeans and a brown jacket. He appeared to be in his late twenties.

"Is this Phoebe Halliwell's room?" he asked.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "And you are...?"

The man's eyes widened and he blushed. "Gosh, where are my manners. I'm David Turpin."

"I see," said Piper slowly, looking him up and down. He didn't look dangerous. In fact, he seemed pretty friendly. However, she had learnt not to always trust her first impressions. "Well, I'm sorry David, but I think it wouldn't be appropriate for you to visit at this time. The nurse said only family members could visit at this time. I thought I was clear on the phone."

"Oh, that was you?" the man, David, said in surprise. He shuffled his feet a bit. "Hum, well, it was pretty clear. But I just had to see her, you see?"

"In fact, I don't," said Piper, perhaps a bit more harshly than she'd intended. "Having too many visitors could affect her recovery."

"Well, I only see one visitor at his time, so…" He entered the room. Piper's eyes noticed a beautiful bouquet of orchids in his left hand. "Don't worry. I won't be long."

Piper gritted her teeth and raised her hands, freezing the man. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She shivered and frowned. Why was the room so cold? Oh, right. The window. It was a good thing she'd frozen David before he could notice it was broken. She would have to fix it now.

"Personal loss should not be mine, restore this window and make it fine [1]." As soon as she uttered the last word of the spell, the shards of glass scattered on the floor flew towards the broken window, closing the gap and merging together, erasing all evidence it was ever broken.

Satisfied, she unfroze David. Though she was worried about Benjamin, she hoped he and Leo would not be back right away. It would be better to keep David away from her nephew while she gauged his intentions.

She kept her eye on the man. He carefully put the bouquet, already in a plastic vase, on the bedside table. He looked at Piper briefly and sat down in the chair, grabbing Phoebe's hand. He lightly brought it to his lips, and kissed her knuckles, before lowering it back on the bed. He kept their fingers interlaced.

"Shouldn't she be awake by now?" he asked, suddenly breaking the silence. "I thought there had been no brain damage."

"We don't know. The doctor seems to think it might just be her subconscious reacting to trauma. It might be waiting for it to be safe to wake up," said Piper, weary.

"I see," David whispered, looking down at Phoebe's face. "How do we… oh." He stopped talking and tensed all over.

Piper moved towards him, intrigued at his interruption and then she saw it. Phoebe's eyelids were fluttering. Her sister was finally waking-up.

* * *

1\. This is not an original spell. I found it on the Charmed wiki.


	4. Chapter 4

Phoebe opened glassy eyes and blinked a few times. Relief swept through Piper and she felt a weight being pushed off her shoulders. She momentarily forgot about David, until he stood up abruptly. His eyes were wide and he was shaking slightly.

"I have to go," he said and rushed out of the room.

Piper really wanted to follow him out. His behaviour was highly suspicious and it seemed more and more likely that he was involved somehow. However, her primary duty was to her sister. She rushed to Phoebe's bedside and held her hand.

"Phoebe? Are you alright?"

Her only answer was a slight moan. Piper resisted the urge to shake her sister, anything to bring her to full awareness. All too soon she was pushed back by a nurse who fretted over Phoebe, checking her vitals and speaking in reassuring tones. Piper stepped back, not wanting to get in the way, but kept a close eye on her sister.

For a long moment, it seemed like time had slowed down without any intervention on Piper's part. It seemed to take forever for the nurse and then a doctor to assess Phoebe's condition, checking her responses to light and other stimuli, asking her a few questions, until the doctor took Piper aside, right outside the little hospital room.

He explained to her that Phoebe was going to be fine. She didn't appear to suffer from any head injury, though she still felt a bit disoriented. "She'll probably feel exhausted, so don't overwhelm her with too many visitors. In fact, I'd recommend keeping it to one visitor at a time for now. At least until she gets a full night of sleep."

"Of course. Thank you, doctor," responded Piper distractedly. The man nodded once and took off. She re-entered the room and her gaze fell on Phoebe, now in a sitting position on the hospital bed. Colour was already coming back to her cheeks, but her eyes were still a bit glassy. She looked up at Piper, frowning slightly.

"Phoebe, what happened?" asked Piper, approaching the bed slowly. It had felt strange to sit beside her estranged sister when she was unconscious after not seeing her for so long. Though she was happy to see her sister had woken, it felt stranger still to speak to her. They had gone their separate ways almost a decade ago, and, even though they had exchanged a few words here and there over the years, it felt like they were now strangers.

"I dreamt," Phoebe said. Her gaze drifted to the corner of the room. "This feels like a dream too."

"It isn't! You were in a car accident and…" Piper hurried to say.

"I know. It's just…" Phoebe looked back at Piper. Her eyes were swelling with unshed tears. "I really missed you."

Piper felt something tightening in her throat. She grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed it. "I missed you too." She felt tears fall down her cheeks, but didn't brush them off. "I've wanted to reach out to you for so long. I just didn't know how."

"Me too," said Phoebe with a brittle smile. She sniffed once and wiped the tears away from her face. "But we can talk about this later. I don't know how much time I have."

"What do you mean?" asked Piper, alarmed.

"I shouldn't be awake right now. I can feel the curse trying to bring me back there."

"Bring you back where? Phoebe, what are you talking about?"

"It's a demon. He only exists in some sort of dream world, but he wants to come here, to our reality." Phoebe's eyes grew wide. "Piper, he can't crossover, he's too powerful, and he can only be defeated in his realm. I've been trying to hold him off while I was there, but how do you fight dreams?"

"Pheebs, you're not making any sense. You were fighting a demon in your sleep? Does it have anything to do with the accident?"

"Yes, but I'll explain more in a bit. First, can you tell me how it is I'm awake right now? Did you use a spell to bring me back? Did Leo heal me?"

"No. Well, he healed your injuries, but he couldn't wake you. You just… woke-up. Your boyfriend came over, held your hand and then you opened your eyes."

Phoebe started. "My boyf…. Do you mean David? He was here? Shit. Okay." Her mind seemed to be going a thousand miles an hour, and she nodded to herself like she had solved a puzzle.

"Who's David? How does he fit into this," asked Piper, growing irritated. Couldn't she just get a clear answer out of her sister?

"Well, he's _not_ my boyfriend for one. He's… well… a research partner?"

"A research partner," said Piper wryly, raising an eyebrow.

"On half-demons."

Piper remained quiet, so Phoebe elaborated. "Since, well, since I moved out of the manor with Benjamin, I've been looking up ways to protect him, to make sure he didn't turn out like Cole." Phoebe bit her lip. "I still wonder sometimes what would've happened if the Seer hadn't influenced him…"

Piper squeezed her sister's hand once more.

Phoebe continued chewing her bottom lip, like she was trying to figure out how to organise her thoughts. "Anyway, I didn't know who might be after Ben, because he was the son of the source or because he was the son of a charmed one."

A fear Piper understood all too well, though it helped to have Leo and Paige around to provide extra layers of protection. She felt a sudden wave of regret at the thought that Phoebe had had to manage this all on her own. She opened her mouth to say something, but Phoebe continued.

"I also wanted to help Ben get a handle on his powers so I didn't have to extinguish fires throughout his entire childhood. You remember what my pregnancy was like!" Phoebe and Piper traded weak smiles. "So I spent years researching and experimenting with protection spells, found ways to hide our home from evil and magical being. And I found this… let's call it a support group for hybrid children of demons. That's where I met David and he's been very interested in Benjamin."

"From what I saw earlier, I'd say he's been very interested in someone else too."

Phoebe blushed. Piper resisted the urge to roll her eyes, then paused as a thought hit her. "Wait, is David a half-demon?"

"Yes, but he prefers to be called a curse-eater," Phoebe explained. "He feeds off spells, which is probably why I'm awake now, though it won't last much longer."

"So you're dating another half-demon," Piper couldn't help but ask.

Phoebe crossed her arms defensively, "It's not like that. I mean, there might've been a casual thing, but… Anyway, that's not important right now. I need you to do me a favour."

Piper felt uneasy at the topic change, but nodded.

"I don't know how long I was sleeping, but I'm assuming that Ben has been staying with you?" When Piper nodded once more, Phoebe released some tension and leaned back against her hospital bed. "Good. I know you didn't think I should've kept him…."

"I'm sorry about that. I was wrong. I can see he's a good kid," Piper interrupted, the words rushing out before she could hold them back.

Phoebe smiled sadly. "You and Paige are the only ones I trust to look after him. Promise me, you'll do it when I go back to sleep. And tell him that I love him and that I'm sorry I can't be here for him."

Piper narrowed her eyes. "You're talking like you don't think you'll wake-up again."

Phoebe opened her mouth to replied, but was interrupted.

"Oh my God, Phoebe, you're awake!" exclaimed Paige behind them. She had orbed into the room without hers or Piper's notice. Paige rushed towards Phoebe and threw her arms around her. After a few seconds, she let go awkwardly of her sister, as though only just remembering she and Phoebe had been estranged for years.

For a moment, all three sisters remained silent. They stared at each other, unsure of what to say to melt the tension that remained between them, despite their seemingly shared desire to cross the bridge.

It's Phoebe who spoke first, though Piper had a million questions she wanted to ask.

"Now that Paige is here, I need to explain what happened." Phoebe visibly struggled with her words for a few seconds. Then, her eyes flashed with determination, a look Piper had often seen her sport right before throwing herself into a fight against a particularly dangerous demon. "We have a demon to fight and it'll take the Power of Three to take him down."

* * *

A.N. Sorry it took a while to post this chapter. I started a full-time job, which is great, but it means I don't have as much free time to write anymore. I'm also working on two other stories which are also keeping me busy, but I'll do my best to update this story at least once every two weeks.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

"Benjamin, slow down!" shouted Leo, as he passed through people in the long corridor. A few people side-eyed him as he went passed, but he didn't have time to apologize. That kid was one fast runner! Not a bad trait to have when one was part of the Halliwell's family, but that didn't help Leo much at the moment. He couldn't even orb to catch up to the boy as there was a surprising amount of people walking around.

It didn't take long for the boy to lose him completely. Leo stopped running and looked around, in case Benjamin was still around. A young nurse approached him slowly.

"Sir, can I help you with something?" she asked with a polite smile.

"No, no. I'm just…" he hesitated a bit.

"Was that your kid that came running just now?" she said.

"My nephew, actually. You've seen him? Where was he headed?" he asked, frantic.

"He was headed towards the reception. Don't worry, someone will probably stop him there. We don't usually let kids run out without an adult."

Leo felt a rush of relief, though that relief was short-lived. If they were right to think that a demon was after Benjamin, the boy would not be safe unless he was with one of the sisters. He thanked the nurse and hurried off to the reception area. Once there, it took him only a few seconds to spot his nephew sitting on a bench. His arms were crossed and he was pouting in a way that was so reminiscent of the way Wyatt reacted when he didn't get his way, Leo almost smiled.

He approached his nephew and sat down beside him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the receptionist's glancing their way.

"Benjamin, are you alright?"

The boy let his arms fall to his sides, and stared at his shoe. He mumbled. "Sorry for running away."

"It's okay, Ben. You just needed some space, I understand. But you can't go off on your own again," Leo said, using the understanding-yet-firm parental voice he'd mastered over the years.

"Because a demon is after me?" said Benjamin, still looking down.

"Because it's a possibility. Yes. And we don't want to see you hurt," said Leo, softly. He looked around briefly; making sure no one could overhear their conversation.

"Why do you care? It's not like you know me."

"You're family Benjamin. Family love each other, take care of each other and protect each other. It's true we just met, but… you're one of us."

"Even if it's my fault mom is hurt?" The boy's voice trembled and he turned his head away.

Leo put an arm around his nephew and pressed his body against his side. "Ben, it's not your fault, okay? Nothing is your fault. Not your mom's situation. Not the rift between her and her sisters. You did absolutely nothing wrong."

"Not directly," argued Benjamin, looking up at Leo earnestly.

Leo repressed a sigh. He'd hope to avoid getting into the details of that messy affair, but the kid was just as stubborn as Phoebe. "To be honest with you, I think you were just an excuse."

Benjamin started. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that a lot happened before you were born and emotions were high. Your mom was dealing with losing your dad, and Piper was still shaken after almost losing Phoebe to, well, to evil. They didn't want to talk about all that so they fought over you instead. I really want to stress you are not to blame for this." Leo hoped his explanation was clear enough. He didn't know for sure what had been running through the minds of the sisters during the ordeal, but he thought he knew enough to make this educated guess.

"I guess it makes sense. So, if it wasn't me, they would've fought over something else?" Benjamin asked.

"I think so," Leo said.

Benjamin didn't reply. He sat quietly, looking deep in thought. Leo looked around and caught the stare of the receptionist. She was looking at them with curious eyes.

"I think we should head home," said Leo, not looking away from the receptionist.

"But what if mom wakes up?" Benjamin protested.

"I can bring you back in a second, remember? I just don't think it's good for you to stay here with nothing to do," Leo explained. "We can get ice cream?" he offered.

"I'm not a baby… " said Benjamin, scowling.

"So no ice cream, then." Leo got up on his feet and turned towards his nephew, offering his hand.

Benjamin still looking unimpressed, but he reluctantly grabbed Leo's hand and got up. "Ice cream is fine," he mumbled.

As they were about to leave, the receptionist suddenly got up to intercept them. The short and stout woman, who couldn't be more than twenty years old, stood in front of the exit and was staring at Benjamin. "Is everything okay, kid?" she asked.

"Yeah. He's my uncle. He's bringing me home," Benjamin replied.

The woman then smiled. "Alright then. Thank you for staying put until a family member found you."

"Um, thank you for helping me earlier," Benjamin said uncertainly.

"Oh, it was no trouble, helping such a… _special_ boy," she replied with a grin.

A shiver went through Leo at the way she pronounced that word - _special_. He strengthened his grip on Benjamin's hand and pulled him away firmly but gently.

* * *

Benjamin wasn't sure why Leo seemed so nervous. Something about Maggie, the receptionist, had unsettled his uncle, but he wasn't sure what. When he thought about it though, he recalled a certain undecipherable feeling when talking to her. It wasn't one of his usual _feelings_ he got when there was something wrong happening, but it was something he had felt at least once before.

By a strange coincidence, he spotted the only other person that he associated with this sensation. The tall blond man was trying to control his breathing against a wall in corridor leading to the parking lot.

"David?" Benjamin called tentatively. They'd never met formally, but he'd seen him near their apartment before.

Leo froze as David looked up and took a few tentative steps in their direction.

"You're Benjamin, right? Phoebe's son?" asked David, hesitant.

Leo's grip suddenly got a bit painful, so Benjamin tried to dislodge his hand from his uncle's. The hold loosened a bit, but Leo refused to let him go.

"You're a friend of Phoebe's?" asked Leo, frowning.

"Yes. Sort of. It's complicated," stammered the blond.

"You send her flowers," said Benjamin.

"Um, yes. That's how we exchange messages," David answered, looking down briefly at Benjamin, before turning towards Leo. "I'm a florist so it doesn't look too suspicious."

"What are you doing here?" asked Leo in a neutral tone.

Benjamin suddenly remembered that David was a suspect. He'd been so curious about meeting the man for so long, he hadn't been able to refrain himself from calling out to him. It might've been for the better. This way they could question him, something the adults probably would've found a way to do without him. This way though, he got to hear the answers.

"Were you the one who hurt my mom?" Benjamin asked before David could prepare an answer to Leo's question. The man jumped as though he'd been hit.

"No! Of course not! In fact, I'm trying to help her! She's in over her head," David exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" pressed Leo with a glance towards Benjamin.

"We shouldn't be talking about this here," David said, looking around. "There are demons everywhere. We can go to my place."

"No," said Leo firmly. "If we're going anywhere, we're going to the Halliwell manor."

"And stand close to a nexus? No way. Besides, the manor is not protected against demons the way my apartment is," David replied firmly.

Then, a strange thing happened. A tremor seemed to go through David and his eyes lost focus. The tremor was gone after a couple seconds and David seem to emerge out of a trance. He became frantic. His eyes were darting around the room and he spoke urgently. "We don't have a choice anyway, my place is closest and there's a demon headed our way right now."

A demon? The thought terrified Benjamin and excited him all at once. He'd never met one before, which was probably for the better, but being half demon himself had multiplied his curiosity about them. He needed to see for himself just how different he was from these evil creatures if he had any hope at being able to figure out how to be and stay good.

" _What?!_ How do you know this?" Leo asked, suddenly on high alert.

"Does it matter? I just know. Now, follow me," he said, taking a few steps to the left.

"No need," Leo said taking a few steps to grab a hold of David's arm, dragging Benjamin with him. Without any warning, Benjamin started to feel the pulling sensation that was quickly becoming very familiar. However, the sensation disappeared quite suddenly and Ben realized they were still in the hospital's parking lot.

David shook his head. "This won't work on me and now you won't be able to do any magic for a couple of hours. You better come with me. You don't want to face whatever's coming."

Though David couldn't be trusted, Benjamin knew at once the man was telling the truth . He could feel a pit in his stomach; a sensation that never forebode anything good. "Leo, I think we should listen," he said.

Leo looked at him intensely, almost through him, but Benjamin didn't look down. He didn't like his _feelings_ , but he'd learnt to trust them over the years. Leo nodded once to himself and turned towards David. "We'll follow you," he said finally. "But if you try anything, there won't be anyplace on Earth you'll be able to hide from the Charmed Ones."

"Understood," said David. He turned white when he heard a screech not too far away. "Now follow me, we don't have time to waste." He took off and Leo and Benjamin followed suit.

* * *

A.N. Sorry for the delay. I tried to update earlier but life got in the way a bit. Nothing major, but it was difficult to find time or energy to write. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Now facing two of her sisters, Phoebe was struggling to find her words. As soon as Paige had arrived, something in the air had changed, becoming charged with an energy so familiar Phoebe had to suppress a sob. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to have her power echoed against her sisters, what it was like to feel the hum of power against her skin, warm and comforting, reminding her she wasn't alone... She shuddered and lost herself to the sensation for a second.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a stricken look on Piper's face and read bewilderment in Paige's as she stared at Phoebe. They must also have felt it. The power of three. Regret had never tasted so bitter, but Phoebe did her best to choke it down and get right down to business.

"I know we have a lot to talk about, but I don't know how much longer I'll stay awake, so just bare with me for a second, while I explain everything, alright?" she said.

Piper nodded and made a "speed it up" motion with her hand. Paige hesitated a bit longer, not having had a chance to talk to Phoebe yet, but she ended up nodding as well.

"Okay, so this all started when my friend Cindy called me, asking for help with…"

* * *

Cindy had been Phoebe's first friend from the half-demon support group. As the only person who wasn't half-demon herself, many of the group had been resistant at the idea of letting Phoebe in to the meetings. As a mother herself, Cindy understood the witch's need to gather as much information she could to help her child keep away from his demonic potential and Benjamin was much too young to benefit from these meetings. So Cindy had argued and argued in Phoebe's favour and had been the only friendly face in the group for months until the others started warming up to her presence.

Which is why Phoebe hadn't hesitated to come to Cindy's aid when she had asked for help regarding her youngest cousin's strange sickness. The teenager, named Nathan, had been getting night terrors more and more frequently these past few months until, this very day, when he didn't wake up. The boy had been stuck in a nightmare for sixteen hours when Cindy remembered Phoebe was a witch and thought to call her.

Cindy had sounded so distressed on the phone that Phoebe hadn't thought twice about promising she'd come over as soon as she could. However, as she put the phone down, Phoebe thought of her son. She didn't want to leave him alone, and she wasn't going to risk bringing him with her if a demon or a warlock was involved. A thought had quickly crossed her mind. Maybe she ought to call Cindy back and say sorry, but she couldn't put her son at risk if something malevolent was at work. Cindy would understand. She was a mother after all.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind that Phoebe felt hot shame course through her body. The thought of not helping an innocent in need was nauseating. She might not be actively going demon hunting like she had done before Benjamin's birth, but until now that had never meant she could simply ignore a call for help when she heard it. She wasn't exempted from doing what she could to help the people around her when she could so something, she reminded herself. And so Phoebe waited until the next morning, when she could drop Benjamin off at school before rushing to the address Cindy had sent her. By then, Cindy's cousin had been sleeping for more than 32 hours though he looked as though he hadn't slept in years.

Nathan was pale and had deep shadows under his eyes, though the most noticeable thing about his condition was his expression. His mouth was open as though it was stuck on a frozen scream. His body was unnaturally still. He seemed almost like a statue, but Phoebe could hear the frantic beat of his heart. She touched his shoulder and immediately got a premonition, though not one of her usual ones.

Phoebe had felt like she was falling through a veil. The fall had seemed to last many long seconds before her feet suddenly touched the ground of a desert. A desert with sand the colour of blood and a starless sky. Yet, despite the darkness, she could see clear as day. Thousands and thousands of demons and horrifying creatures were staring at her hungrily. Behind them stood an old man with a long beard. Despite the lack of light, he had a long shadow, which showed a giant menacing shape that kept changing form, each as monstrous as the other.

The old man had stared at Phoebe until their gazes met. Then he winked and Phoebe suddenly couldn't see, overcome as she was with the screams of terror she heard echoing all around her and the feeling of her blood freezing a thousand time over. Her clothes became soaked with sweat. It was fear as she had never known. And then, the vision ended and Phoebe found herself on the floor of Cindy's cousin's bedroom, screaming and screaming until someone slapped her. That's when she realized that the terror she had felt had not been her own, and that it had not belonged to a single person.

The premonition had only lasted a few seconds, but it had felt much longer.

Phoebe took a moment to recover, breathing harshly and looking around the apartment to get her bearings. She couldn't see much however as Cindy was kneeling beside her, obstructing her view of most of the room. Her eyes were teary and red. "Phoebe, Phoebe what happened?" she asked.

"I… I'm not sure," said Phoebe. "I had a premonition but, ugh, it was so weird. It's like it was sent to me from a demon. The one responsible for Nathan's condition."

Cindy's breath hitched. "So it was a demon. Of course it was a demon, I just can't escape them!" she said a little hysterical. "And now Nathan's dead."

Cindy burst into tears and Phoebe pulled her against her. "I'm sorry I came so late. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she mumbled. As Cindy sobbed in her shoulder, Phoebe turned her head towards Nathan's bed. His face was still frozen in a silent scream, his skin white and his body still. He looked as he had before, but she could no longer hear his heartbeat.

* * *

A few days alter, she found herself knocking on David's door. She needed help to guide her research.

A quick look through the local news and some police reports had confirmed that Nathan's condition was not an isolated thing. There had been a couple cases of people sleeping for two or three days before seemingly dying of terror in their sleep. The reports also seemed to suggest that the number of cases was growing every day. It was a wonder no major news channel had picked up on what could potentially become a deadly epidemic.

She quickly needed ideas of which demon could be causing all these deaths. She'd thought of the only demon she knew who fed on fear, Barbas, but Phoebe wasn't convinced. Barbas killed his victim in minutes and left them with white hair. Furthermore, she hadn't seen him in the premonition. This wasn't enough evidence to completely rule him out, but she needed further suspects if she wanted her investigation to go anywhere. She only knew one demon expert, and though it'd be a bit awkward to ask for his help, he'd at least be able to tell her where to look.

She heard someone unlocking the door and it opened. David smiled when he saw her, though his smile was strained.

"Phoebe! It's nice to see you. However, I assume this isn't a social call."

Phoebe lightly shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Dave, can I come in? I need to talk to you… something about our mutual friends."

'Mutual friends' was how the support group for half-demon spawns referred to malevolent beings. Phoebe secretly thought it was a lame code word, but many members of the group were superstitious about the use of the word demons or about referring to any of them by name.

"Yes, I heard what happened to Cindy's cousin," he said. He stepped to the side to let Phoebe come into the house. He closed the door behind her and led her to a living room area.

"It's not just Nathan. It's been happening all over town, possibly all over the world," Phoebe stated.

"And what do you want me to do about it? I'm not the demon hunter here," said David.

"No, but you sure know a lot about them. Why not use that knowledge to protect others? Come on, Dave. People are dying in their sleep. If he could reach Nathan with all the anti-demon protections Cindy has installed, anyone could be next."

"If he's as powerful as you say, than I'm not sure I want you risking yourself by confronting him," said David. He was staring at Phoebe so intently, she felt herself flush. Though that could have also been due to the sudden anger she felt.

"I don't need you to protect me, David! I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Oh yes, I know. You've made that perfectly clear," David said bitterly.

"Dave…." Began Phoebe.

"I know, I know. This is not the time." David sighed and brought a hand to his forehead.

There was silence between them until David suddenly broke the silence. "I don't know much about dream demons, but I can tell you where to look."

* * *

Phoebe left David's place with a pile of books and a list of titles she could consult at the library. After countless hours of reading, all the while keeping an eye on the news for updates on further cases of thedeadly night terrors, she found a journal written by a dream traveller, a witch who could roam people's dreams and encountered all sorts of magical creatures, some good and some evil. Her name was Helena Nsk.

In her journal, Helena initially reported on her abilities, what she knew of them, and the training she went through to increase her power and test her limits, but her entries became more and more encyclopaedic in time as she started to write detailed reports on the creatures she met or fought in the dream realms. One of her last entries told of a sleeping sickness her sister Sisi had seemingly contracted. She was paralyzed in her sleep and hadn't woken in days.

Worried her sister would die, Helena broke a promise to never breach her sister's dreams. It is there that she encountered a dream demon who called himself Phobetor. She first mistook him for a _mara_ and started chanting soothing words, which usually kept the bad dreams at bay. This time, however, it only served to attract his attention. Seeing her, Phobetor became intrigued at once and quickly took hold of her. Unable to shake him off, Helena decided instead to drag him into another's dream. She hoped that would break his hold over her sister and that it might surprise him enough that he'd loosen his hold over her just enough. Instead, she felt him take control of the dream transfer and bringing her to his realm.

Phobetor's realm was filled with disgusting, horrifying creatures and Helena thought she recognized a distorted version of demons she'd fought before. Phobetor let her go, and she called her ability to pull herself out of his realm, but found she couldn't access her ability. For what had seemed like days, Helena had been tormented by the creatures and she'd feared she would never wake up, prisoner she was of Phobetor's domain. And it really was his domain. He had absolute control over all things that inhabited his realm, from the living monsters down to every single particle of matter. He'd erected a fortress with one snap of his fingers and had then conjured up a humongous tsunami in the driest of desert that swallowed the fortress whole. It was unclear how she'd managed to escape, though Helena had underline the phrase "the awaken are dreamers and the sleepers are awake" three times.

In the remaining pages of the journal, Helena recounted her efforts to vanquish the demon. She armed herself with spells and potions to carry over in her dream travels. She was unable to enter Phobetor's domain however and it seemed like nothing affected him when she fought him in other dream realms. She grew desperate each day as more and more people of her village went to bed only to never wake-up. In her last entry, Helena described a potion she'd created which would send her to Phobetor's domain, where, she hoped, he could be defeated once and for all.

* * *

Phoebe paused her narrative, feeling exhausted from having talked so much. She glanced a look at Piper and Paige.

"And you believe that the demon who killed Nathan is the same one Helena describes," summarized Piper.

Phoebe nodded. "I believe he is growing stronger, strong enough perhaps, to be able to cross over into our world. I think, all these years, he's been building himself an army. Making soldiers out of the monsters we dream about."

"You've… had a lot of time to think about it," said Paige slowly. The more Phoebe said, the more she wondered why her sister had been so reluctant to ask for their help before this moment.

"As soon as I started looking into these deaths, I started being plagued by nightmares. Horrible dreams about demons we've encountered before, about family and friends dying in horrible ways, and I couldn't sleep more than two hours at a time. I knew if I let things continue, I would eventually be unable to wake up. For days I experimented with spells and potions to find a way to prevent the demon from getting a hold over me. Nothing worked," said Phoebe. "Every time I fell asleep I was scared that I wouldn't wake up this time."

At these words, Piper couldn't prevent herself from grabbing her sister's hand. "Why didn't you come to us? We would've helped," she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Do you hate us that much?" asked Paige.

Phoebe started at the words. "No! I never hated you! I just… I, I, I don't know." She fell silent for a moment and then spoke again very softly. "I didn't want to come back because I needed the power of three."

"So instead you didn't come back at all? Damn it Phoebe!" shouted Paige.

Phoebe didn't respond, taken aback at the anger in Paige's tone. In the tense silence, Piper grabbed Paige's and held it in hers. For a few seconds, she pushed her anger aside and revelled in the fact she was holding on to both her sisters at once. Taking strength in that, she kept her voice levelled as she turned to Phoebe. "We're sisters first, Pheebs. We'll always be sisters first."

* * *

A.N. I'm so sorry for taking over a year to update this story. I took one short break over Christmas which became a really long hiatus. Life just takes over sometime. The good news is that I've never given up on this story and am determined to finish it (no matter how long it takes). The other good news is that I have five chapters already written, meaning chapter posting should be regular (aiming for once a week) for a little while at least.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Leo had never felt so uneasy before. He couldn't access his abilities, was separated from the sisters and was following a strange man he didn't trust to get out of reach of a screeching creature that seemed to be nearing them. He kept close to Benjamin, though he wasn't sure how he was supposed to protect his nephew in his current powerless state.

"What's after us?" Leo asked David.

"Running now, questions later!" David replied, though he started fumbling in his bag. He pulled out a wooden whistle and handed it to Benjamin. Unthinking, the child grabbed the item, looking it over and caressing its edges with his fingers.

"No time for that kid, just…" David breathing was getting laboured, "blow the whistle...when… you see... the creature."

Leo didn't like this one bit, but he wasn't in a position to argue. No matter whether they could trust David or not, he couldn't deny something was after them, probably something dangerous. So when Benjamin turned towards him, questioning, Leo only hesitated a second before nodding. He prayed he didn't regret this.

A few minutes later and Benjamin was starting to lag. He was trembling slightly from the effort of running at full speed. Even David's breathing was getting more laboured, though he didn't waver. Leo had the advantage of being dead and not really needing to breathe, so he picked up his nephew and tried to keep the pace, despite carrying his nephew's weight.

"Almost… there..." said David. "Three more… blocks… the white… blue… house…"

Unfortunately, the trio was running out of time. From the comfort of Leo's arms, Benjamin could take a closer look at their surroundings. This enabled him to spot one shape hurling themselves in their direction. Though its contour seemed blurred somewhat, the creature seemed to resemble a woman. It was very tall and very thin, almost skeletal. Its long hair was unkempt, curling in all directions and its naked body revealed a pair of full breasts. However, the creature was clearly not human, as its skin was a literal white and its mouth was stretched open, far beyond human capabilities. Benjamin was vaguely reminded of an alligator with sharp teeth. It was also surrounded by an aura that made Benjamin nauseous with fear. It screamed and suddenly, the creature had halved the distance between them.

Benjamin thought faintly he should warn Leo and David that the creature was within sight, but his fear paralyzed him. It was the kind of paralysis he sometime suffered after first waking up from a particularly bad dream.

Feeling how tense his nephew was, Leo quickly glanced back and swore. "David," he called. "Whatever it is, it's right behind us."

David didn't turn back. "Don't look!" he screamed. "Ben… the whistle."

But Ben could not register David's instruction. His eyes were glued to the creature. His head was filled with terrifying thoughts. _His mom was dying. It was his fault, because he was a demon. She was his first victim, the first of many as Benjamin would never be able to fight off his demonic nature. His dad hadn't been able to. Why would he? He was disgusting and unworthy of his family's attention, and as soon as Phoebe died, Piper, Paige and Leo would have no need to pretend to like him anymore. They could go back to hating the thing that destroyed their family_ —

"Benjamin!" shouted Leo. He was frantically pushing something against Ben's mouth. Benjamin blinked slowly in confusion.

"Blow the damn whistle!" he heard from somewhere near. The whistle? He couldn't think clearly, but maybe it had something to do with the thing between his lips.

"It's okay, Ben. It's okay, just blow the whistle," said Leo soothingly.

Feeling like he was slowly waking from a dream, Benjamin warred against his limbs that seemed to weight a ton in order to adjust himself and make it easier to breathe in a nice lungful of air. It took a few long seconds, but he managed and he gathered all his remaining strength to blow as loud as he could in the whistle. Doing so, he shut his eyes and immediately felt better. His body felt as light as a feather and he had no trouble drawing in another breath and blowing again. And again.

Each time, he felt more brave though he kept his eyes shut. The dark thoughts were chased away and he conjured up an image of his mother, deep shadows under her eyes, but smiling warmly. He remembered that night. He had had a terrible nightmare about a red face demon who'd tried to eat him. He woke up screaming and she'd been there. Smiling and petting his hair, murmuring reassurances. When he refused to go back to sleep, she told him a story about a woogyman and taught him a protective spell.

Though the spell had been created to defeat the woogyman, Benjamin thought that the wording was vague enough to apply to any sort of monster, including red face demons. Since that night, he'd whisper the spell to himself whenever he had a bad dream to soothe himself back to sleep. In this moment, conjuring up that image of his mother, he remembered the spell and muttered it under his breath.

 _I am light,  
I am one too strong to fight,  
Return to dark where shadows dwell,  
You can not have this Halliwell!  
Now go away, and leave my sight,  
And take with you this endless night._

When he finished, he realized Leo had stopped running. He ceased blowing the whistle and carefully opened his eyes.

"It's gone," said Leo. "The wraith. It's gone. The whistle worked."

Wild eyed, Benjamin looked behind Leo's shoulder and sure enough, there was no trace of the creature he'd seen before. He whipped his head towards David.

"Why didn't we use the whistle before?" he asked.

Leo frowned. "I was wondering the same thing," he said as he turned an expectant glare towards David.

David was a couple meters ahead and was scratching his head, looking slightly bashful. "The whistle was… an impulse? I wasn't sure it would work."

Benjamin wasn't sure he understood. "Is it a magical whistle?"

David shuffled his feet. "It's… not. Magical, I mean. I, ugh… The creature you just saw, it's called a _mara_ or a _mere_. Or at least, I think it was. It didn't really act like any _mara_ I know. Anyway, they're a demon that both feed on and cause nightmares. What people think is sleep paralysis is usually the work of a feeding _mara_. They don't usually attack in the day… or attack people who are awake."

"So what did the whistle do?" asked Leo sharply.

"Nothing," said David. He quickly elaborated when Leo narrowed his eyes. "They roam dreams and feed on fear. They're not tangible. So, they're easily defeated by hope, calm and conviction. If Benjamin believed that the whistle would have an effect on the creature, if believing so was enough to free him from his terror and give him hope, than it was likely it would cause some harm to the _mara_. At least, I hoped so."

"But you weren't sure," coldly stated Leo. He couldn't believe David had so recklessly put their lives - Benjamin's life - in danger, on the off chance belief would be enough to chase away a demon.

"I... I had a pretty good idea," defended David. "I know a lot about demons."

"I'm sure you do," said Leo in a dry tone.

The two men were staring at each other, one distrustful, the other annoyed.

"I know you don't trust me, but I did save us -"

"Benjamin saved us!" interrupted Leo.

"Fine! He saved us! But with my help. Geeze, if all your family is like that I can see why Phoebe stayed away so long."

Leo wavered for a second; he stumbled under the sudden wave of fury that seized him. "You shouldn't speak about matters you don't know about."

He gently let Benjamin down and looked him over. His nephew's eyes were open wide and he kept looking between the two men.

After a tense silence, David slumped his shoulders. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just stressed and you acting like I'm scum is not helping me calm down." He looked at Leo, but the whitelighter remained silent. "My house is just around the corner. Well, not a house really… I rent out the basement, but um… we're almost there and there might still be some demons after us. We should go inside to be safe."

Leo discreetly tried to activate his orbing ability. When it didn't work he nodded once stiffly and, keeping a gentle hold on Benjamin's arm, walked in the direction of David's house.

* * *

David's living area was interesting to say the least. Books on myths and mythologies, demonology, spells and curses, monsters and other magical creatures were piled on every surface and in every corner. Where there weren't books, there were notebooks and loose sheets of paper covered in notes and weird equations, or amulets and potion ingredients. David's room could easily have been mistaken for a magic shop.

Benjamin jumped on an old couch, one of the only piece of furniture devoid of paper or books, feeling exhausted from the high emotions of this morning and the wild chase they'd just gone through. His small body seem to melt into the old couch, but Benjamin's eyes were curious and kept moving across the room. Leo had moved in more cautiously, keeping one eye on Benjamin and another on David.

"Can I get you some coffee or tea?" asked David who pointed towards the kitchen. "Ben, I have some ice cream -"

"That won't be necessary, David," answered Leo abruptly. Seeing David tense at the interruption, Leo tried to soften his tone. "But thank you. Just, please explain what you know about Phoebe and the _mare_ that attacked us. Are these incidents related?"

"I don't know much. Just that Phoebe was investigating a case. She asked me for help a few times. I'm a sort of demonology expert if you will. So I told her about the _mara_ , but she wasn't convinced. She thought it might be something bigger than that, so I gave her a few references that might help. And then, there was the accident. Or at least I thought it was just an accident until I visited her at the hospital and she woke-up when I touched her."

"Mom's awake?" shouted Benjamin. He jumped on his feet and ran to his uncle. "Leo! We've got to go see her!"

"I promise we'll go as soon as I can orb again," said Leo, bewildered. He turned to David. "We were at the hospital, why not tell us then?"

David sighed. "There was no time. You saw how quickly the _mara_ moved. And I couldn't be sure they wouldn't go after Ben if they caught sight of him. Phoebe would never have forgiven me if he'd been hurt."

"You said she woke when you touched her?" asked Leo.

"Yes. I…I'm a curse-eater," said David.

Benjamin didn't think that explained anything though Leo started at David's confession.

"I thought curse-eaters were extinct," he said.

"They are. I'm a… special case if you will." David turned towards Benjamin. "You may have felt it already, but I'm like you. A half-demon, though my mother was mortal."

Benjamin was floored. Another half-demon? He wasn't the only one? Well, of course he wasn't, but the idea hadn't really occurred to him before.

"Many half-demons are able to sense others like them. Half-demons also tend to have an affinity for evil, not necessarily to do evil," he specified quickly, "but to sense it. My abilities go a bit further. I'm able to absorb magical energy - good or evil." He turned towards Leo. "That's how I was able to prevent you from using your abilities, and how I managed to wake Phoebe up, though I'm assuming it won't be for long."

"So, she was cursed?" asked Benjamin in an uncertain voice.

"The energy I accidently absorbed wasn't evil in nature, but I could sense it wasn't the result of a voluntary action," replied David.

"Alright, this narrows down our search somewhat," said Leo hesitantly. The caster of the spell couldn't be a demon or another being whose essence was evil, though someone could be acting on their behalf. David had also said that Phoebe had been conducting an investigation. That was more information they'd had since this entire thing started, even if that hardly mattered if Phoebe was awake. She would hopefully be able to explain everything to her sisters.

"Oh, I have some ideas who could've done it," said David.

Leo wanted to press him for more information, but at this exact moment he heard Piper calling for him. Probing their connexion, he felt her distress. It seemed his whitelighter abilities had returned and he was faced with a decision - keep interrogating David or respond to Piper's call.

* * *

A.N. The spell presented in this chapter is from the Charmed episode "Is There a Woogy in the House?" (S1, E15).


	8. Chapter 8

Phoebe smiled at Piper's words, which soothed something in her. There was still some tension between the sisters, a deep hurt that couldn't be erased with a few reassurances, but for now, knowing that despite their differences her sisters were still on her side was enough. The thought made her feel warm, and she let herself slowly slip in the sensation, her eyes drooping lightly, and…

"Phoebe!" shouted Paige. "Don't fall asleep! You said something about a potion?"

"What?" mumbled Phoebe. She blinked a few times, unable to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids felt so heavy and the bed was so comforting. Maybe she could just close them for a few seconds…

Something hit her hard against her cheek and Phoebe started. She turned towards Paige who was holding a hand up as though ready to strike her again. "Hey!"

"You were falling asleep," said Paige. "And you still haven't explained about the potion. The coma, was it you? Did you do this to yourself?"

"If Helena's intuition was right, he can only be hurt in his realm," said Phoebe, forcing her eyes open.

Piper could hardly believe her ears. "What about Benjamin? Do you know how terrified he was when you didn't wake up after the accident? Had you given this any thought before consuming the potion?"

Phoebe shook her head desperately. "I didn't, I didn't. I was supposed to have more time." She let out a long yawn. "I swear I didn't drink it."

"Okay, Phoebe. It's okay, we believe you," said Paige. "Just tell us what we can do to help."

"Leo might be able to help now that we know more," said Piper, getting out of her seat. "Leo!" she called at the ceiling. "Leo!"

Phoebe's eyes were drooping again. She yawned a second time and her whole body seemed to melt back into her bed as all her muscles relaxed at once.

"Phoebe, what's happening? Stay with us!" She wasn't sure which of her sister had spoken.

"Make sure… Ben is safe." Phoebe was visibly trying to keep her eyes open, but they were staying close longer between each attempt to force them open. She started mumbling.

Paige listened intently, but could only catch a few words. "Get my research... apartment...use spell...three..."

Then, Phoebe blinked one last time and didn't open her eyes again.

* * *

As soon as his connexion to Piper had been re-established, Leo had wanted to grab his nephew and orb to her. The only thing preventing him from rushing off was David's surprising declaration and the fact he still felt the half-demon to be untrustworthy. That could've been because of Leo's previous experiences with half-demons that hadn't gone too well or the poorly disguised interest David had towards Benjamin, or just something off about the guy's aura. In any case, Leo was loathed to leave the man without supervision and without hearing the rest of his explanation. Leo looked around the tiny basement in case there was some kind of clue of what to do and his eyes rested on the clock on the wall. It was already almost 1:30 in the afternoon. The school day would soon be over and he'd have to pick up his sons. Piper's calls were also still echoing in his ear. Well, that settled it then. He'd have to get one last quick answer out of David and then he and Benjamin would be on their way out.

"Who was it that cursed Phoebe?" Leo asked quickly, hoping David would be forthcoming.

Beside him he sensed Benjamin's unrest. The poor kid had had a very emotional day and had had the confirmation that someone had deliberately hurt his mother.

David shook his head. "Like I said, I have a few ideas, but they're just that. Ideas. I need to investigate a bit."

Leo pushed down his irritation. "You know, Phoebe's sisters have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. We could help if you'd only tell us what we need to know."

But David was shaking his head. "Sorry, but some of this is half-demon stuff. I'm sworn to secrecy, and I'm not about to break an oath unless I have some more concrete evidence. I'll update you as soon as I know more."

"I'm a half-demon!" chimed Benjamin. "You could tell me, right?"

David paused, looking at Benjamin carefully. "I could," he eventually admitted. "But I won't. You're too young."

Leo wasn't sure whether he should feel more disappointment or relief. On the one hand, they needed all the information they could use, on the other, Benjamin _was_ too young.

Benjamin didn't agree. "Am not. Plus, it's about _my_ mom!"

David's expression softened and he looked as though he was about to speak.

"Ben, we should go see your mother now," interjected Leo. "I can orb again."

Benjamin looked between Leo and David, hesitant. David made up his mind for him.

"You should go with your uncle and stay safe. I promise you I'll share anything I find." He looked earnestly down at Benjamin and didn't say anything more until the kid nodded once solemnly. Then he turned to Leo. "Go. Phoebe needs your help more than I do at the moment."

Still unsure that was the right path to follow, Leo moved towards his nephew and put a hand on his shoulder. "Close your eyes," he said softly. He was about to orb when a "Wait!" stopped him.

David ran towards the end table and grabbed the wood whistle he's handed Benjamin earlier. He half jogged across the room and kneeled down in front of Benjamin. "Don't forget the whistle, kid. You might need it."

"I thought it didn't do anything?" said Benjamin, frowning, though he took the whistle and pocketed it.

David just winked at him. He stood up, did a mock military salute and backed away. As though on cue, Leo grabbed Benjamin's shoulder once again and envisioned his wife. A familiar sensation took over his body and they were off.

* * *

"Leo!" exclaimed his wife as soon as he appeared in Phoebe's hospital room. He smiled at her and was about to say something when he felt Benjamin shake his hand off his shoulder and saw him rush across the room.

"Mom?" he asked desperately as he approached her sleeping form. "Mom?"

She didn't answer and the room felt heavy in its silence. He whirled towards his aunts, eyes wide and teary. "David said she was awake…"

"I'm sorry kid, she just went back to sleep," said Paige as she approached her nephew and pulled him in her arms. "But we know what's going on, so we can help her." She rubbed his back, and pressed him more strongly against her when she heard him sob.

"It's not fair," he mumbled. "She was supposed to be awake!"

"I know, I know," she said soothingly, while shooting concerned looks to the others.

Meanwhile Leo and Piper whispered to each other in the background. "David? What the hell were you doing with David?"

Leo rubbed his forehead. "We ran into him after I managed to talk Ben down. And then, a demon was after us and we followed him to his place."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just orb to the manor?"

"I tried to orb Benjamin and David with me, but when I touched him…"

"He took your powers away," finished Piper for him. She sighed deeply. "Boy, Phoebe sure knows how to pick them…"

"Guys?" called out Paige. Once she had the others attention she pointed to Benjamin. "I'm going to take the kid home. He's had a difficult day."

"Yes, of course. Would you mind picking the boys up from school? And then give Victor a call so he can come over to watch the kids?" asked Piper.

"Consider it done. I'll meet you guys at the manor," said Paige before she and Benjamin dissolved into sparkling blue lights.

Piper stared at the spot where her sister and nephew had stood seconds before. Their sudden absence enabled her to envision the immensity of the task in front of her. A set of arms hooked themselves around her waist and she melted into the embrace.

"Are you okay?" murmured Leo.

"It's just so much all at once. Phoebe being back, but not really. Waking up and there were all these things I wanted to say, but there was no time. And there's a demon we have to take care of… because of course nothing else short of the threat of world domination could've brought us back together," replied Piper. She let her voice grow vulnerable as she turned around to face her husband. "She didn't even think to ask for our help."

Her chest grew tight and she sniffled, trying to hold back tears because they didn't have time for her to have a meltdown. Leo simply kept holding her tightly, dropping a few kisses in her hair.

"How did we let things get so bad between us?" she asked.

Leo had no quick answer to that question. "It doesn't matter how it happened. You and Paige will kick ass like you always do. And then, well, you'll have all the time in the world to repair your relationship."

Piper gave herself a minute to be comforted by the feel of Leo against her, to let him soothe over some of the hurt that had been unearthed from her conversation with her sisters. Only then could she let her resolve strengthen. Leo was right. They couldn't change the past, so they should focus on the present. And right now, Phoebe needed her sisters' help.


End file.
